Morning journal and courier., 1887-02-23


YEAR. :. THE SAME TERMS By MAIL.
Wednesday, February 23, Iss7.
THE DAY at HARTFORD.
How the Anniversary of Wash1ngton's
Birthday Was Observed at the Capt.
toll What the Committees Did at
Their Afternoon SessiOns-The New
Bridge over the Connecticut to Cost
$4OO,00O-The Plans Submitted to
the Railroad Committee-TO-D Days
Important Committee Hearings.
HARTFORD, Feb. %.
Special to the JOURNAL COURIER:
The fact that to-day the anniversary
of Washington's birth presented no obstacle
to the States lawmakers from transacting
| whatever business came before them. There
were many spectators, principally ladies and
escorts, about the Capitol Hobbies while the
| House was in session. The committees did
| not do much business this afternoon.
Senate bill Sc, concerning salaries of sher-
| ifs in addition to fees was taken up by the
| committee on Judiciary this afternoon. Ow-
ing to the Democratic caucus being held in
the regular meeting room of the committee,
the Supreme court room, the hearing took
place in the ante room adjoining the court
room. There were sheriffs present from
neatly every county in the State and many
! interested spectators. The bill provides that
in addition to the fee allowed by law each
sheriff shall receive from the State salary
annually of 81 900, and that the act shall
take effect June l. 1887. Chairman of the
Republican State central committee Day
| made the Introductory address to the COM
| mittee. He was followed by High Sheriff
Allen of Litchfeld county. All the parties
heard were strongly in favor of the bill.
Addresses were made by Sheriff Hankins
of New London county, Sheriff Spaulding of
Hartford county, Sheriff Gates of New Haven
county, Sheriff Pomeroy of Windham coun-
ty, Sheriff Schwartz of Fairfield county, Mr.
Phelan of Bridgeport and Judge Elmer of
Middlesex county. The committee seemed
favorably impressed by the addresses and
will undoubtedly recommend the passage of
the BILL
Professor Simeon E. Baldwin, of New Ha-
ven, advocated House bill IA, authorizing
joint stock companies to issue preferred
stock. A short hearing also given be-
fore this committee the bills amending
the law relating to medicines and poisons; on
amending the tramp law and Furnishing the
destruction of electric light wires.
John H. Davis, the sentenced to i'm
prisonment for life for abetting the murder
of Deputy Warden Shipman, petitioned the
legislature for release. 1t will be remem-
bered he let Hamlin, Allen and Hamilton
out of their cells when they killed the war
den. He furnished them with rope, mana |
cles, pistols and cartridges. He recently pc |
nod tha nf
but was unsuccessful. The committee on |
State prison to-day voted not to give his |
case hearing. He had a resolution intro |
duced in the House through his counsel pc
titioning for release.
The committee on constitutional amend |
ments have decided to report favorably on |
the prohibitory amendment to the State con- |
stitution. This is supposed in lieu of all |
other liquor legislation. The report is likely |
to pass in both branches.
The railroad committee held a short hear
ing on the bill providing for a new bride at |
Lyme over the Connecticut river. Vice |
President E. NJ. Reed and Superintendent o. |
M. Sheppard were present at the hearing. 1t |
was not supposed until week ago that the |
consent of the legislature would be necessa-
ry to enable the Consolidated road to erect
the new bridge. There is, however, no OPP
position to the erection of the bridge. The
plans for the new structure were shown to
the committee this afternoon and explained
by Vice President Reed. The bridge will be
| ten feet higher than the present structure,
and will be of iron. 1t will be arranged for
one track, but the piers will be wide enough
for double track should it be required.
The cost of the improvement will be S4O0, OO0.
1t is the intention of the company, said Mr..
Reed, to begin work as soon as the spring
season fairly opens.
ba in
this afternoon. Senate bill 70 concerning in
surance brokers was heard 1t provides for |
their paying an annual tax of $40 per annum. |
There were but few interested parties pres
ent. House bill 222 concerning payment of
interest on paid up life policies also |
given a hearing. The bill provides that in |
surance companies pay three per cent. to all
parties insured in their companies, who hold |
paid up policies The bill was strenuously |
opposed by Colonel J. L. Greene, president |
company. |
The committee on finance had hearing on |
House bill 70 increasing the tax of mutual |
life insurance companies. The bill, which is |
quite a lengthy one, provides for raising |
tax on mutual life insurance companies from |
one fourth to one-half of one per cent; the |
tax to be laid on the total amount of its pre- |
MUM notes, and on market value |
of all other assets; deductlng I'M
paid loses, and the market value |
of real estate liable to taxation and State or |
town bonds used in aid of the construction |
of railroads which then exempt from tax |
alton. If the company has also stock held |
as mutual the market value of such assets |
belonging to stock debt is exempted from |
taxation. Representative Gum of Mil |
ford favored the bill in a strong speech. |
@. ]. Cole, of Hartford, appeared in opposi- |
ton. The bill will be heard again at future |
and unassigned date, at which several other |
interested parties are expected to be present. |
A bill was rejected by the House to-day |
which provided for several radical changes |
in the military system. 1t was championed |
before the committee military affairs by |
Captain Williams, of Hartford, but the COM
mittee to-day reported adversely on the bill |
to the House.
There will be many important committee /
hearings to morrow "wednesday. The as
signments NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. for
the purchase of the Meriden Park association
grounds; appropriations-bill for State
printing office; cities and beroughs-bill au-
thorizlng New Haven to issue sewer bonds
and resolution concerning dividing line be- |
tween New Haven and Orange; constitutional |
amendments-resolution for compilation of
the constitution; federal relations-tariH re-
form and protection resolutions; finance
bill exempting from taxation 81 200 of prop
erty of soldiers wives and petition for ex
emption from taxation of 81 900 of those who |
furnished substitutes in the war; fish |
eries-petition for abolishing shell |
fish commission and several petitions |
to lessen the expenses of such commission; |
humane institutions, bill concerning COM |
mitment of children to orphan asylums in |
New Haven and petition for State control of |
| inebriate asylams; judiciary, bill for crimi- |
nal side of the Common Pleas court in New
Haven; labor bill that children under thir-
| teen may be employed on certificate from |
the selectmen, bill exempting $50 from at
| tachment and petition for lien law to Sc
| cure workingmens wages; military affairs,
bill permitting the G. N. q. to parade in
New Haven at dedication of soldiers monu
ment; roads and bridges, bills regulating
payment for support of bridges in and be-
tween towns.
/ Two bills came before the judiciary to-day
which were not fully announced. One of